In this invention we describe a shaking device that is used to shake, stir, mix, rotate or agitate samples in containers attached to the shaking device. The shaking device, herein referred to as the shaker, is used to mix the liquid or solid components of the sample in the container. The shaker described in this invention has a flexible arm to which the containers containing samples are attached. The flexible arm can be made of interlocking segments. Due to the flexibility of the arm, its shape can be changed such that the speed and type of sample shaking can be varied based on the shape of the arm and based on the position of the sample container on the arm. In this manner, orbital, linear, circular and other two or three-dimensional shaking, mixing, agitation and stirring of the sample can be achieved. The present invention provides an easy new method for shaking samples in containers of different shapes and sizes, at different speeds and in different orientations in space.
In chemical, biological and biochemical laboratories, many different sample preparation methods require that a sample be shaken, mixed, stirred or agitated for the uniform mixing of the components of the sample. Currently, a number of different stirring and shaking devices are commercially available in the market. Some of these shaking devices consist of a level surface which rocks back and forth at a specified angle or which rotates in different directions for the shaking of samples in petri-dishes, flasks and other containers which can be placed on the level surface. Alternatively, other shaking devices consist of rotation devices in which containers such as test tubes or vials can be placed and rotated up to 360 degrees for the mixing of the sample.
While the currently available devices provide fixed rotation angles and speeds, the flexible arm shaking device invention described herein, can shake or rotate sample containers at different speeds and in different two or three-dimensional rotations due to the flexible arm to which the sample containers are attached. The shaking device described in the present invention, also referred to as a shaker, is used to shake, agitate, rotate, stir or mix samples in containers attached to said shaker. Thus, in this invention some samples can be shaken gently and others more vigorously depending on where along the arm of the shaker the sample containers are attached. The shape of the arm can be kept rigid and linear or it can be bent into different shapes such as circular or wave-from shapes. These different shapes and orientations of the arm allow different sample containers to rotate at varying speeds and in different orientations. Furthermore, unlike other shaking devices currently available on the market, the present invention provides many different shaking options within the same shaking device, as well as, various options for attaching sample containers to the flexible arm of the shaker or rotator. Furthermore, in the present invention on or more flexible arms can be attached to each other or to the rotating device. These arms can be present in any form such as linear or branched and they provide even further options for rotation speeds and orientations for sample containers.
Often sample shaking or rotation need to be performed at specific temperatures such as in an oven or under certain conditions such as in a water bath. With currently available methods, the entire shaking unit needs to be placed in the oven or water bath and thus often needs to be designed to withstand heat or moisture. This poses hazard dangers such as the potential for electric shocks resulting from placing an electric shaking device in a water bath. The shaker described in the present invention can be designed such that only the flexible arm of the shaker is placed in an oven or a water bath and the electrical components of the shaking device are present on the exterior of the oven or water bath.
In the present invention, the flexible arm of the shaker can be attached to a motor or any other shaking, vibrating or rotating device that moves the flexible arm in a desired orientation and at desired speeds. The motor, or similar device can be powered by any mechanical, electrical, electrochemical, battery-based or other methods. The flexible arm can be made of metal, plastic or of inter-locking plastic segments (known brand name LOC-LINE(trademark) from Lockwood Products, Inc.) and similar plastic segments, which are available from different manufacturers and give the same effect. The arm made of these segments can be twisted in any direction, axis or shape. These interlocking segments are used to transport the cooling fluid in the lathe or milling machines. Furthermore, by using branching segments a multiple rotation can be achieved.
The present invention consists of a shaker that has a flexible arm that can be twisted or bent into different shapes at different angles. The present invention is used to shake, stir, rotate, agitate or mix the different components of a sample placed in a container attached to the flexible arm of said shaker. The sample containers can be attached to the shaker by any methods such as magnets, clasps, sockets and clamps. The flexible arm of the present invention can furthermore be attached to a rotating or shaking device such as a motor or any other device suitable for shaking, rotating, mixing or agitating the sample. The different positions of the flexible arm allow for the shaking of samples at different speeds and at different orientations based on the position of the given sample container on said shaker.
Furthermore, a specific shaking device such as a motor can be attached to the arm to provide different speeds at which the flexible arm can be rotated. In addition, the flexible arm of the present invention can be used to expose samples in sample containers to heat, such as in an oven, or to conditions such as constant temperature in a water bath, without exposing the electric or other components of the shaker to heat, water or other potentially hazardous conditions.
The various features of novelty, which characterize the present invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its advantages and objects, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.